Hydraulic jet marine propulsion system



B. B. JOHNSON HYDRAULIC JET MARINE PROPULS-ION SYSTEM April 2s, 1953`Filed May 31. 1949 A TMR/VE):

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 OFFICE HYDRAULIC JET MARTNE PRoPULsIoN SYSTEM iBruce-B. Johnson, Pasadena, Calif.

Application May 31, 1949, Serial No. 96,521

v `l This invention relates means and it is primarily an object of theinvention to provide a means of this kind to increase speed as well asto assure greater maneuverability.

'- It is recognized by modern authorities that the ordinary method ofpropulsion of deep water craft by means of propellers is less eicientthan might otherwise'be the case, for the reason that such propellers doscarcely more than slice the water through which the craft is beingpropelled, with a resultant loss of potential speed and power. It is anobject of the invention to improve upon methods of propulsion of deepwater craft, by means of elongation and enclosure of the propellermechanism, and by impounding the water against which this elongatedpropeller mechanism expands it force, so that instead of the propellermechanism coming into direct contact with the open seat, it tends ratherto force a stream of this impounded water through an elongated tubebefore it impacts the sea, and whereby the impact of this impoundedwater against the sea takes place under the stern of the deep watercraft.

The invention also has for an object to provide a propulsion unit to bemounted on the hull of a vessel and including a housing in which adriven screw propeller is mounted and wherein the housing aft of thescrew propeller is reduced in diameter to form a conical enclosurecontinued'by an ejection tube of a lengthto extend from the appliedhousing to the stern of the hull.

A still further object of the invention isto provde a propeller means ofthis kind including a driven screw having the blade of varying angulardeviation.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement Vof the several parts of my improved ship screwpropulsion means whereby certain advantages are attained, as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

Inv order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceedto describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:v A Figure 1 is a view in side elevation and of a diagrammaticcharacter illustrating a ship screw propulsion means, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention;

r Figure 2 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the barreland .associated parts as herein comprised, certain of the parts being inelevation and the ejectng. tube in fragment; i v

i Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken throughv the barrelandthe'inner portion of the 5 Claims. (Cl. 115-16)v to ship screwpropulsion harmony with the 2 ejecting tube, the screw and its housingbeing omitted;

Figure 4 is aview partly in elevation and'partly in section of the screwassembly herein comprised; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 ofFigure 1 with 4parts omitted;-

'l Figure 6 is an elevational view ofthe rear or aft bearing member`unapplied; j

AFigure 7 is an elevational view of the aft bearing member unapplied. v

In the invention as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, B denotesan elongated barrel of desired dimensions and open at both ends. Bolted,as at I, or otherwise rigidly held to the fore end of the barrel B is acup-likehead 2. The bolts I are disposed through the outstandingsurrounding flange 3 carried by the fore extremity of the barrel B andthrough the surrounding flange 4 at the inner or open end of the head 2.The bolts I also pass through the marginal portion of a bulk head orplate 5 which is disposed across the fore open end of the barrel B..

The barrel B is cylindrical asis also the head2 and secured .to the aftend of the barrel B is a conical head 6. The apex of the applied member6 is outwardly disposed-and open and said open apex is dened by asurrounding liange/ I at right angles to the axis of the head :'j Theinner or larger end of the head 6 is also denedj by an outstandingsurrounding iiange 8 substantially perpendicular to the axis of: thehead 8 and through which are disposed the hold-` ing bolts 9 or the likewhich also pass through the outstanding surrounding iiange I I) definingthe aft end of the barrel B. The bolts 9 also pass through the annularflat rim II vof a bearing member I2. The rim I I is rigidly connected bythe two radially aligned spokes I4`withthe vcentral flatbearing hub I5.vThe rim II, spokes .I4 and hub bearing I5 are `co-planar.

The bulk head or plate 5 is providedv therethrough with the openings Iso positioned to readily admit a ow of water from the intake chamber I,l provided by the cup like head-2 into the main -chamber I8 of thebarrel B and in rotary motionv of the screw propeller unit S to behereinafter more particularly referred to.

The side wall I9 in the is provided with an intake per portion of saidside wall I9 is a second inlet port2|. y

Delivering into the intake chamber' Il through the port 20 is aforwardly extending elongatedin-i take'- tube The outer oreductionlendef the lower portion thereof Dort 20 and in theup.v

tube T preferably has associated therewith a suitable screen tosubstantially eliminate sealife of any kind or other foreign matterpassing into the chamber I1. As the screen may be of any characterdesired and an obvious expedient, it is not believed necessary that thesame be described or illustrated.

Overlying the barrel B is a reserve reservoir 22 of desired capacity andwhich is in communication with the intake chamber I1 through the port Zthrough the connecting conduit 23.

Leading from the open outer or apex end of the head or jetty 6 is anejection tubed and ofv a length in practice to extend through and beyondthe stern of the ship hull and terminating adjacent to the rudder R. Theouter extremity of the tube 24 is provided with the cowledivent 2.5.

The inner end of the tube 2i! is defined by an outstanding surroundinglia-nge 26 to permit' attachment to the flange i of the head 6 by thebolts 2'! or the like. Thel bolts 21 are also disposed through the outerflat rim 28 concentricl to a'bearing. hub 2.9 and connected thereto bythe spokes 30 (see Figure 7),. The rim 28 is inter posed between theflanges 'I and 25.

Ihe outer wall 3l of the` head 2 is provided', with an opening 32through which snugly but freely engages an end portion of a shafty 33comprised in the screw propulsion unit S. This shaft 33 is of a lengthto extend axially through the barrel B and the heads 2 and 6 with itsinner end operatively engaged with the bearing hub 29 at the outer orapex. end oi the head 6. The shaft is also disposedr through the plateor bulk head and the hub I5 of the bearing member |12 and thusmaintaining the shaft in effective position.

The shaft 33 extends outwardly beyond the head 2 and said extendedportion of the shaft `33 is operatively engaged,v as at 34,. with asuitable driving' medium generally indicated at 35 inthe drawings andwhich maybe one of the ship motors..

That portion of the shaft 33 within the barrel B carries a spiral screwpropeller' 36. The proypeller,` is of angular' deviationand' of alengthsubstantially coextensive: in length. with the barrelBf The propeller 33is' housed within at sheath or sleeve 3l rigidly secured to thev outeredges of. the propeller for rotation therewithf The sheath or sleeve 3TAis coextensive in length with theA propeller 36 and of a. major diametercloselyapproa-ching the inner diameter of the barrel B; interposed'between the barrel- 13 and the sheath or sleeve 31 at the extremitiesthereof are the anti-friction assemblies 38 which may be as d'esired. Asis shown in Figure 2 of the drawing the forward end of the propeller 36vclosely approaches the adjacent plate orbulk'head 5, which may also betermed a valve plate and therefore the propeller 36 rotates in closetolerance to said valve platev or bulk head 5 and thus assures a closedsurface passing at all times over' the openings f6. This serves toenclose the Water passing through the sheath or sleeve 31 and thussubstantially eliminating backwash of such Water and assur-V ingthewater being effectively driven out through the reducing chamber 33provided by the head 6 and out through the ejection tube 25.

The. propeller 36 at the forward end portion thereof or that portionimmediately adjacent to the valve plate or bulk head 5 is on an angle approximately thirty (30) degrees and after about a one half turn thisangle increases rearwardly toreach at its ait end an angle approximately4 seventy (70) degrees. The purpose of this Varying angular deviation isto force the water reary wardly with a thrust which will give whirlingaction to the Water as it enters the conical chamber 38 of the reducinghead or jetty 6.

The tube T is within the hull I-I and below the water level and close tothe level of the keel and opens through the hull at the prow or nosethereof. The other parts of the assembly are also suitably mountedwithin the hull with the ejection tube extending out through the sternof the boat, as hereinbefore explained.

The shaft 23 is driven by the motive power of the craft and thepropeller or spiral blade 3B tends to create a potential vacuumcondition in thefb'arrel B thereby drawing water through the tube T,=intake chamber I1 and through the openings I'B of the valve plate 5 intothe sleeve or sheath 31. The water is forced by the propeller or blade36 into the reducing chamber 3B of the head or. jetty 6 and into and outthrough the ejection tube and' into the sea under the stern of thecraft. The cowl 25 at the outer or discharge end of the ejection tube2'4 is so disposed to throw the water discharged from the tube 24downward and rearward'. whereby the force of the: water as dischargedfrom the tube 2t is prevented from exhausting its force with a resultantloss of power which would otherwise be the case if the discharge waterwere allowed to spill upward and createa foaming wake.

In operation, the reservoir 22 is maintained substantially full with thewater content under a certain degree of air pressure. This condition ismaintained by the water drawn into the intake chamberv l1. The reservoir22 is provided to assure and equalize the supply of water from thechamber l1 to the sheath or sleeve. 31 and especiallyv under weatherconditions wherein. the nose of the craft may be lifted momentarily' outofthewat'er;

From the foregoing description itv is thought to hev obvious that a shipscrew propulsion means constructed in accordance with. my invention isparticularly well adapted for use by reasonl of the convenience andfacility with which itv may be assembled and operated.

I claim 1' '1. An apparatusy of the character described,

and in combination with avessels' hull of a propulsion unit comprising afixed housing mount'-v ed in said hull,- an intake tube extendinglong-itudinally along and parallel to the vessels keel and openingoutside the hull at one end and con-- nected to the housing at the otherendthereof. a shaft, a spiral screw propeller blade of varying angulardeviation on said shaft rotatably mounted: therewith coaxially withinsaid housing, a1 sheath fixed to and circumferen-tially enclosingvsaid'blade,r driving means mounted in said hulll cooperatively engagingsaid shaft, means mount-s ed' transversely' within saidho'using andcooperatively associated with. the forward end of said. blade to providea. valve: means,v saidE housing' aft of said blade diminishing indiameter forming a conical enclosure, andan ejection tube extendingfrom. the. aft end of said conical enclosure: par allel. to said keeland; through the hull at' the stern.

2.` Anapparatus as set forthin claim l wherein a cowled vent provided atthe. outer extremity of the election tube;

3. An apparatus asv set forth in claim. l,v wherev in the housing inadvance. of the valvemeans constitutes an intake chamber which theintake tube communicates, and a reservoir independent of the intake tubein communication with the intake chamber.

4. A propulsion unit including a housing, an intake tube incommunication with one end portion of the housing, the opposite endportion of the housing being continued by a conical extension providinga reducing chamber, an ejection tube leading from the apex portion ofthe conical extension, a spiral screw propeller mounted for rotationWithin the housing forward of the conical extension, a sheath xed to andsurround ing the propeller, said propeller being of varying angulardeviation, means for rotating the propeller, means within and disposedtransversely of the housing forward of but in close proximity to thepropeller and cooperatively associated with the propeller to provide avalve means, the portion of the housing in advance of said valve meansconstituting an intake chamber, and an intake tube in communication Withthe intake chamber.

5. A unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein the means mounted within andtransversely of the housing comprises a plate having openingstherethrough.

BRUCE B. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 94,463 Aubert Sept. 7, 1869 617,969 Plecher Jan. 17, 1899776,416 Norden Nov. 29, 1904 1,023,515 Graves Apr. 16, 1912 1,104,963Coanda July 28, 1914 1,289,009 Hicks Sept. 4, 1917 1,326,730 HelgueraDec. 30, 1919 1,545,723 ZeWisler July 14, 1925 1,687,369 Bolgiano et al.Oct. 9, 1928 2,467,022 Forlano Apr. 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 390,774 Germany Mar. 3, 1924

